Month: November 2011

This past Friday I went on my first “official” field trip to the beautiful Texas Hill Country for a brewery-crawl.Leaving Austin around 1pm with three other Austin Zealots, we arrived at our first stop Pecan Street Brewing, in Johnson City shortly after 2pm.

They had four of their own beers on tap, plus three or four Real Ale beers. We decided on getting a couple sampler trays with:Judge & Jury Stout – A bold, roasty and hoppy, this American Stout is not shy on flavor.Lady Bird’s Wit – A Belgian style white (or wit) beer brewed with malt, oats, and wheat, and spiced with coriander and orange peel. Served unfiltered. It’s a great way to beat the heat!County Jail Pale Ale – a beer with a bigger flavor that pairs well with food with “bigger” tastes.Ten Penny Nail – amber ale with toasty and caramel malt flavors. Fermented with a Scottish Ale yeast that contributes a subtle complexity.
My personal favorites: the Wit and the Stout.I highly recommend stopping by if you’re in the area. Really nice little place with character and charm, which I usually have a problem saying about new places. The inside is a mix between a German Cafe, with couches and reading area; the other half is a modern Saloon. Pecan Street Brewingsits right at Johnson City Square, directly across from the historic Courthouse and a 117-year-old Jail next door.

Leaving Johnson City around 3pm and arriving at Real Ale Brewing shortly after that. I havent been there in about two years so it was great to see how it changed. Hanging out in the tasting room and enjoying the beers on tap for a while we decided to go on a brewery tour to see what all had changed in there.

I remember when I was there two years ago they just had set up their bottling line, so seeing it now and the construction for a new building right behind the main building I have to say I was flabbergasted how much it grew. I can’t wait to see it next time I go back.

As for the beers, good as always. I stuck to Hans Pils, Rio Blanco Pale Ale, and a couple sips of the “Mysterium Verum” IPA after we finished the tour. Other beers on tag that day were Fireman’s 4, Coffee Porter, and15th Anniversary Ale.

On our way back to Austin we headed to another new addition to the Hill Counrty’s beer-scene: The Barber Shop in Dripping Springs. Their history is quite interesting. “Old timers chuckle at calling this building ‘the old barber shop,’ but that’s what it was for the past quarter century. [The] building started its life around November 1924 as a wooden and tin garage. In 1938, when it was owned by D.W. Crenshaw, it was given its rock exterior. The building served as a garage and gas station until around 1960. After that, it was not used commercially for most of the next 25 years when it was then remodeled and turned into a barber shop.”

They have a nice selection of local, national and international beers on tap, plus one to two of their own house beers, brewed by local resident and competitive homebrewer John McIntosh III. That night we got a taste of their “Pig Snout Stout”. Pretty solid, and easy drinking stout.
While you won’t be able to get a professional haircut there anymore, you will be able eat, drink and play bar games. However you will find people every once in a while asking to get a hair-cut. Proof of that is a little chalkboard on the wall with the number of folks.

All in all a long but great day, with excellent beers and awesome company.Looking forward to where it takes me next.

After having a web presence for years now – tweeting, facebooking, and writing posts for other blogs – I thought it was time to have my own blog about art, beer, and my obsession of combining them into one: The ART of Beer!I’m looking forward to where this takes me. So long,